Seed-display cabinet.



M. F. JOBBS G. A. SNOW.

SEED DISPLAY CABINET. A rrmouron HLHD 001.3, 190s.

Patented July 6, 1909.

witnum i. all( f l V I O atbowwgo rUNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON FRANK JOBES AND CLARENCE A. SNOW, OF EAST RANDOLPH, NEW YORK.

SEED-DISPLAY CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909 Application ined october e, 1908. serial No. 456,005.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that we, MILTON FRANK Jeans and CLARENCE A. SNew, citizens of the United States, residing at East Randolph, in the county ci Cattaraugus, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Seed-Display Cabinet, of which the iollowing` is a speciiication.

This invention relates to cabinets for use in shipping and displaying seeds and other merchandise contained in packages.

The object of the invention is to provide a cabinet consisting of nested trays designed to be shifted relative to one another so as to assume a stepped relation when it is desired to display the contents el the cabinet, said sections being also designed to collapse se as to nest within the main or body portion of the cabinet, and thus occupy the minimum space.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means whereby the sections et' the cabinet will be automatically locked when the cabinet is extended for display purposes.

A further object is to provide a cabinet so constructed that two oi said cabinets can be conveniently secured together' and transported as a crate without danger of injury to or loss el?l the contents.

lWith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details el' construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred 'form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings z-Figure 1 is a plan view ot the cabinet. Fig. 2 is a transverse section therethrough, one halt et the cabinet being shown extended, while the other hall is collapsed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the portions of two cabinets secured together to form a crate.

lfteiierring to the iigures by characters of reference 1 designates a pedestal of any suitable construction and `proportions and having a stud 2 extending therefrom. and constituting a pivot for the body 3 of the cabinet. This body is preferably formed oi a rectangular box of wood or other material and has a central opening 4 into which the stud 2 eX- tends. Secured within the corner portions of the body 3 are retaining brackets 5, having inwardly curved ilanges at their upper edges and which are preferably ilush with the corresponding edges of the body.

Arranged upon the center oi the bottom of the body 3 is a smallv tray 7 preferably reetangular in outline and having a bail 8 or other suitable handle connected thereto. This tray is surrounded by another tray 9 having an opening 10 therethrough within which the tray 7 is mounted. rlfhe inner wall 11 oi this tray 9 extends upwardly from the edges of the opening i() and is considerably higher than the walls 12 of the middle tray 7. Stop Yflanges 13 extend from the wall 11 and overhang the wall 12, so that the tray 7 can be raised a predetermined distance between the walls 11. and will ultimately come into contact with and be stopped by the lianges 13. Another tray lll surrounds the tray 9 and has a central angular opening 15 in which said tray 9 is mounted. The inner wall 16 of the tray 14 extends upwardly from the edges of this opening and is also provided with stop vllanges 17 designed to overhang the short outer wall 18 ol" tray 9. Any desired number elE trays may be provided and they are all arranged in the inanner hereinbeiiore described. The outer tray 19 has a short outer wall 20 designed to be limited in its movement by the corner bracket (i, heretofore referred to. Each el the short walls el the trays is provided with one or more oppesitely disposed spring catches 21 designed, when the nested trays are raised, to spring into engagement with the upper edges olI the inner walls oi the next adjoining trays. It is ol course to be understood that those ol'v the catches upon the outer tray 19 engage the wall el the body 3. Each of the trays is subdivided by means el partitions 22 into separate con'ipartments, each compartment being designed to receive a number et packages oi seeds or other merchandise.

When it is desired to shift cabinets such as here described the trays are all nested as shown at the right el Fig. 2, andthe various compartments therein are Ylilled with packages. The compartments are then covered with a layer et card-board 23, or other material, after which another iilled cabinet is inverted and placed upon this card-board. The two cabinets can then be secured together by means of a strip or strips 24 nailed or otherwise fastened thereto. Two cabinets connected in this manner have been shown in Fig.

VWhen it is desired to use the cabinet for display purposes the same is placed upon the pedestal l and the innerI tray 7 is pulled upwardly by means ol the bail 8. "zlhen this tray comes into contact with the inwardly extended 'flanges 13 of the next adjoining tray it will pull upwardly on said tray and this movement will be transmitted intermittently from the inner to the outer trays until all el" them have been elevated above the body It is of course to be understood that as soon one tray becomes extended as far as it will go the hooks or catches 2l carried thereby will spring into engagement with the adjoining wall ol the neXt tray. Obviously therefore as soon as all of the trays have been pulled upwardly they will remain in extended position, and the contents of all ofthe trays will be supported in stepped relation where they can be conveniently seen. To close or collapse the cabinet the various catches 2l are disengaged from the walls engaged by them and the trays will therefore move downward by gravity into the body.

It will be seen that this device is very simple, durable and eilicient, and that the same is advantageous not only because of the fact that it constitutes means whereby all of the contents thereof can be conveniently seen, but also because it can be colla )sed into a compact body and two of them can be assembled together to form a crate so as to enable these devices to be shipped at comparatively slight cost and without danger to the contents thereof.

VJ hat is claimed is l. A cabinet comprising a body, a series of homocentric nested trays therein, and means carried by each tray for automatically engaging the wall of the adjoining tray to support the trays in stepped relation.

2. A display cabinet comprising a body, a series of homocentric nested trays slidably mounted within the body, means for lacilitating the elevation of the middle tray, and means carried by the trays for automatically engaging the adjoining trays to lool( the said trays in elevated position.

3. display cabinet comprising a body, a series el' homocentrie nested trays therein, each tray having an inner and an outer wall, means carried by the outer wall ol each tray Alor automatically engaging the inner wall el' the adjoining tray when the trays are elevated to support said trays, and means lor limiting the movement oll the trays relative to one another.

4. n display cabinet comprising a body, a series ol' nested trays within the body, each tray having an inner and an outer wall, all ol' said trays surrounding the innermost tray, means carried by each tray for automatically engaging the wall of the adjoining tray to support the trays in elevated positions, and means upon the trays for limiting the relative movement thereof.

5. A display cabinet consisting el' a series o'l` homocentric nested trays, and means carried by each tray l'or automatically engaging the adjoining tray to support all of the trays 1n stepped relation.

6. l display cabinet consisting ei' a series of nested trays, each tray having a rectangular series ol compartments therein, the compartment oi' each tray surrounding the next inner tray, means carried by the trays l'or limiting the relative movements of the trays, and means upon the trays for automatically engaging the adjoining trays to lool; the same in stepped relation.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto ailixed our signatures in the presence of witnesses.

MILTON FRANK JCBES. CLARENCE A. SNOW.

lWitnesses CHARLES FINNEY DIETER, ANTHONY PAPROKE, N. YJ. BENSON, FRED A. HALL. 

